Encouragement Corp. announces end to annual Charles City Christian music concerts

By Kelly Terpstra, kterpstra@charlescitypress.com

Dave Holschlag remembers the out-of-state license plates and the inspirational stories that came along with them – all because of music.

The 13 free Christian concerts that Holschlag and his wife, Jodi, helped start beginning in 2007 that jammed out at Central Park on the week before each Labor Day, were more successful than Holschlag could have ever hoped for.

“I think the concerts had more attendance and were better received than I had anticipated,” he said. “I thought it would go well, but didn’t know how well. I was very encouraged by how well it was received and how many people came every year – and from how far they drove.”

Sadly for many who attended, volunteered or helped donate to make the concerts a staple in Charles City, the 2019 concert was the last that Holschlag’s non-profit organization, Encouragement Corp., will put on.

“It’s taken a few years to come to that decision. It was a very hard decision to make,” said Holschlag. “We believe the concert’s been very encouraging for the people who have gone to attend the concert, along with the volunteers.”

One of the goals of Encouragement Corp. was to help spread the word of God through the gatherings that saw as many as 4,000 people attend one year, according to Holschlag.

Along with Encouragement Corp. members Gary Quint and his wife, Melinda, that spiritual connection was made possible through music.

“The idea from the beginning has always been to encourage people who already have faith, as well as to plant seeds for people who do not have faith – to encourage them,” said Holschlag.

Anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 people would flock to downtown Charles City annually to attend the concerts that featured successful bands like Kutless, Tenth Avenue North and Unspoken. Bread of Stone was the opening act for six consecutive years, according to Holschlag.

Concert-goers were able to see many bands before they rose up the music industry’s ranks. Several of the bands that came to Charles City crashed the top 10 Christian music charts with No. 1 singles, some amassing world-wide followings.

Holschlag said Encouragement Corp. worked with a budget of about $20,000 a year. The donations received from businesses and the 50-60 volunteers every year helped minimize some of the concert’s costs.

Youth groups with First Baptist Church, Immaculate Conception School, Floyd Gospel Lighthouse Academy and St. John Lutheran Church have all set up food stands at various points throughout the long run of the concert, to help fund projects the groups were working on.

Quint and Holschlag agreed that new volunteers and donors were getting harder to come by each ensuing year the concert was held. Those issues factored into their decision to cease the concerts.

Also, said Gary Quint, “We don’t have the touring groups that you used to have – the groups that would go out on the road. Some of them do and some of them don’t. It’s a smaller selection of groups.”

Holschlag said working with the city was never an issue.

“The city’s always been very good to work with as far as using Central Park,” he said.

Quint said, “The financial end of it never expanded. We couldn’t get more donors.”

And he said they felt guilty about going to the same volunteers year after year.

“It was a plus and a minus to it. You don’t want to burn them out and yet they wanted to help, they wanted to do it,” Quint said.

Holschlag said he and Quint were thankful to be able to hold the concerts 13 times. He thanked the community for helping to make the concerts a success and for all the positive feedback he received.

Quint’s idea behind the concerts was to reach out to as many people as he could so they could hear the music and listen to the message brought forth in song. He said it was time to end the concert on a good note.

“We didn’t get a bigger crowd. In order to get the bigger crowds, you have to have the bigger names,” he said. “You’ve got big names that want big money and you’ve got a little budget.”

Could there be more concerts five or 10 years from now?

Holschlag did not know the answer to that question, but he would not rule out that possibility.

“At this point we don’t foresee rekindling, but you never know when God’s got a plan,” he said.